HALLSVILLE, TEXAS

Harrison County, East Texas

32°30'15"N 94°34'30"W (32.504036, -94.574904)
U.S. Highway 80 and FM 450
11 Miles E of Longville
12 Miles W of Marshall the county seat
28 Mile SW of Jefferson
Population: 4,153 Est. (2016)
3,577 (2010) 2,772 (2000) 2,288 (1990)

Hallsville, Texas Area Hotels:
Marshall Hotels | Jefferson Hotels

Hallsville TX City Limit
Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, July 2010

History in a Pecan Shell

W. C. Crawford built Fort Crawford (one mile west of present-day Hallsville) here in 1839 to protect against Indians. Ten years later the community was granted a post office which joined a church, school and Masonic Lodge – all of which were nestled in a single two-story building.

Four years after the Civil War ended, the Southern Pacific Railway bypassed Ft. Crawford by a single mile – resulting in both a move and a name change.

The new name of Hallville came from a railroad officer whose complete name has been forgotten. A cemetery remains at the old site – the only proof remaining that Ft. Crawford was there.

With the new post office in place, the community opened the first enterprise not connected to the government: a saloon. The town enjoyed the benefits of being the railroad’s terminus (and railroad repair shops) for about three years.

Hallville’s growth was the envy of East Texas. It supported an estimated 50 businesses In the early 1870s.

The Texas and Pacific Railroad arrived in 1872, buying out the Southern Pacific and completed installing track to Longview. The community lost much of its population to Marshall in 1873 when the railroad relocated their shops and offices to Marshall.

The 1884 population was nearly 600 residents, served by six (!) grist mills, a school, two saloons and a hotel.

Eight years later, the population had fallen to 300 but rebounded to 600 in the early 1900s. The spelling of the name was changed by the post office to Hallsville in the 1920s.

From a 1920 census count of 696, Hallsville fell to 480 in 1930. It reached a new high of 1,000 in the 1940s, falling back to 600 in the 1950s.

In 1988 the population passed 2,000 and the 1990 count was 2,288.

See

Hallsville Historical Marker

Hallsville Cemetery Historical Marker

A Sunday Drive Through Hallsville

1907 Harrison County Vintage Postal Map

Hallsville First Baptist Church
Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, July 2010
More Texas Churches

Photo courtesy Gerald Massey, July 2010

Historical Marker on US 80 at Harrison County Sub-Courthouse:

Hallsville

Formerly Hallville. Successor to Fort Crawford and Ash Springs, pioneer settlements of 1840s. Hallsville was founded when Texas & Pacific Railway was built. First train arrived Aug. 17, 1869. Western terminus for a time, and site (1870-73) of T. & P. shops, town attracted ox-wagon freighting in wool, cotton and buffalo hides from the West. Hallsville, named for Kentuckians Elijah and Volney Hall, received charter Aug. 13, 1870. Volney Hall was a vice president of the old Southern Pacific Railway, which was rechartered as the T. & P. Acquired Sub-Courthouse, 1965.

Historical Marker on 300 W. Willow St.:

The Hallsville Cemetery

After the establishment of Hallsville in 1869 by railroad developers, land was secured here for a cemetery. In 1875 the James F. Taylor Masonic Lodge No. 169 acquired from the railroad (by then named the Texas & Pacific) three acres of land near the rail line and dedicated it as a community burial ground.

The earliest marked burial is that of Mrs. G. C. Russell in 1875, taking place while the land transaction was in progress. Some burials from the older communities of Ash Springs (2 mi. NE) and Fort Crawford (2 mi. SW) were transferred here, as most of their settlers moved to Hallsville and the railhead.

Since the 1920s cemetery cleaning days during May served as community gatherings. Children were encouraged to take part and learn about their ancestors while helping to maintain family plots. Politicians spoke to the crowds before spring primary elections, and veterans were honored on war memorial days. A cemetery association was formed in 1947 to ensure perpetual care and acquire more land. Several additions were made through the generosity of the railroad. Formal entrance gates, landscaping and other improvements have been sponsored by the association.
Texas Sesquicentennial 1836 - 1986

A Sunday Drive Through Hallsville:

Longview & Marshall: A Metropolitan Sunday Drive

by Bob Bowman

...From Longview, head east on U.S. 80. You'll pass through Hallsville while traveling a scenic route characterized by meadows, ranches, and turn-of-the-century buildings. Hallsville dates back to l839 when W.C. Crawford built a fort as protection against Indians. The town was named for pioneer Elijah Hall in l870 when the railroad arrived... Read full article

Concord Rosenwald School
Near Hallsville

1907 Harrison County postal map showing Hallsville
(between Marshall & Longview)
Courtesy Texas General Land Office

Hallsville, Texas Area Towns:
Marshall | Longview | Jefferson
See Harrison County | East Texas

Book Hotel Here:
Longview Hotels | More Hotels

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